Mitsubishi SHOGUN SPORT
Vanessa Hinkley Checks Out Mitsubishis Mid Range 4x4
I must admit that the idea of driving around in a hefty four-wheel drive vehicle filled me with abject horror. I dont mind the latest generation of luxury 4x4s with their car-like interiors and butter smooth controls but the
Mitsubishi Shogun Sport isnt cut from that cloth. Its the sort of thing with slab sides, heavy steering and a confusing low range gearbox that requires the strength of a wrestler to slot into place. When it pulled up outside the office I had to grudgingly admit that it was handsome in a square-jawed sort of way but it wasnt my sort of vehicle.
At least not without doing a whole lot of persuasion.
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Theres plenty of room inside although the surprisingly low-slung roofline will limit headroom if youre very tall. Unlike the five-door version of the larger Shogun off roader, the Sport cant offer a third row of seats in the rear luggage compartment. Still, that never put off Range
Rover buyers or indeed those whove spent so much money on American imports like Jeeps Cherokee and Fords Explorer. On top of that, the seats fold into a bed and you can carry up to 58.
5 cubic feet of clutter with length enough for anything from a surfboard to a grandfather clock. Two engines are offered. Theres a gruff turbodiesel for those that genuinely intend to put their Shogun Sport through its paces off road as well as a rather more refined 3.0-litre V6 that unfortunately has something of a drink problem.
If youre into off roading, the diesel is definitely the model to go for. It has the pulling power and engine braking that mud plugging enthusiasts hanker after. With both engines, all-wheel drive is accessed through Mitsubishis Easy Select system, offering all-terrain performance at the push of a lever. Here, you can switch between two and four wheel drive at speeds of up to 62mph in high range: you must of course stop to engage low range. The lever is a good deal easier to slot into place than most serious 4x4s but its easy to forget when you leave it in low range and drive off up the road with the engine screaming. Rather embarrassing, I must admit. The result on most surfaces is pretty much the same kind of off road prowess as youd expect from a Shogun: in fact, the only real difference between the two is the Shogun Sports lack of a locking rear differential, a feature youd be unlikely to need unless really stuck. Im not that brave, so I didnt really miss it. On the road, body roll is reasonably well controlled and, youll be glad to hear, the roof height wont preclude you from entering the tightest multi-storey carpark. A nice technical touch is the LSPV (Load Sensing Proportioning Valve) system, which automatically adjusts front to rear braking bias, depending on the load being carried.
Its easy to forget just how heavy cars like this are when trying to stop after a trip to the garden centre for a few bags of pea shingle!
Three trim levels are on offer Classic and Equippe for diesel customers and Equippe and Elegance for V6 buyers. Either way, you get power steering, electric power for the mirrors, windows and sunroof, central locking, twin front airbags, an immobiliser and a decent quality stereo. For Elegance V6 models, the tally also includes air conditioning, ABS, alloy wheels, front fog lamps, headlamp washers, roof rails, a luggage area cover and load net, extra instruments and, more dubiously, imitation burr walnut trim and a roof spoiler. British leather upholstery is optional.
Standard specifications have been upped with the latest Shogun Sport and all models feature electrically folding door mirrors, additional door lock shielding to aid security and superior
seat trims. The ABS braking system on the Equippe and Elegance models is backed up by electronic brakeforce distribution software designed to direct retarding power towards any wheel best equipped to cope. It would have been nice to see ABS fitted to the Classic as well, but the bean counters at
Mitsubishi have obviously done their grim calculations and decided its not cost effective for a model which opens at £16,999. Opt for the top 3.
0-litre V6 Elegance model with an automatic gearbox and youll pay a still rather reasonable £21,999, less than the significantly more bijou five-door V6 version of the
Land Rover Freelander.
I could moist definitely live with a Shogun Sport but my bank balance would preclude the thirsty petrol version. Although I could, would I? On the balance of things, probably not. There are a whole host of more modern and more elegant options available that would suit a girl like me far better. The Shogun Sport has a very masculine feel to it and whilst it will undoubtedly carry a good deal of credibility with proper off road anoraks, it looks a little OTT in the multi-storey at the Arndale Centre.
Not for me, but I can see the appeal
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